On P List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Plein soleil (1960)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
12/08, 12/20
12/08:
Known as Purple Noon, Plein soleil is a beautiful-looking exotic picture, especially on sea and
around Italy.
This is the one that made newcomer Alain Delon, a blue-eyed French actor who emotes little with hardly much
to say, an international star. It's admittedly a very good performance as Tom Ripley. Spontaneous and
free-spirited, Maurice Ronet is marvelous as Phillippe Greenleaf. When his death happened, it's a shocking
scene. Some of the film's power went away with him.
Although I saw The Talented Mr. Ripley before Plein soleil, the latter is much better than the
remake. It's just that I'm disappointed to be spoiled because I already knew what happened.
All in all, I need to see Plein soleil again for further evaluation.
12/20:
Perfect and sublime, Alain Delon is all that and more in Plein soleil, giving one of the finest
performances of his career.
It's also a strange movie because of the relationship between Tom Ripley and Philippe Greenleaf. Did the latter
ask for it, or was he playing along just for the humor? Who knows? Either way, the ill-advised strategy would
cost him his life.
Of course, nobody else, not even Freddy, is fooled by Ripley who almost manages to get away with the murders
until the gotcha ending which is unfortunately not the original as conceived in the book by Patricia Highsmith.
I was rooting for him, but of course, he made some dumb mistakes like hanging around the area where people
could recognize him.
In the meantime, I love the exquisite photography of Italy: land and water. It's, by far, the best part of
the film. Complementing it is the beauty of three principal stars: Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, and Marie Laforêt.
They all have the vibe and are sumptuous-looking people.
All in all, forget The Talented Mr. Ripley; Plein soleil is the film to see.